water

Millions in advertising convinced us that bottled water was healthier. Until microplastics arrived

by

On many occasions we can associate bottled water as a higher quality option to hydrate ourselves above tap water. But the reality is that the latest scientific analyzes indicate that bottled water is a direct source of exposure to nano and microplastics (NMPs). This means that regular bottled water consumers may be ingesting up to 90,000 additional plastic particles per year compared to those who drink tap water. Something that breaks with the idea that we can reach everyone that bottled water is much healthier as they have always tried to sell us. The invisible enemy. The studypublished in the magazine Journal of Hazardous Materials defines microplastics as particles between 1 micrometer and 5 mm and nanoplastics as those smaller than 1 micrometer. Ultimately, very small particles that are released from plastic bottles throughout their life cycle. How they are released. According to the study, the particles are released not only by the natural degradation of plastic, but also by everyday physical and environmental stressors. For example, the simple act of opening and closing the cap or squeezing the bottle to drink generates friction that ends with the release of particles into the water. Another very common case is leaving the water bottle in the sun for a certain time. Many plastic particles are being released here because the degradation of the packaging is increasing. But in the opposite case, in freezing, we also have this same problem because it has also been shown that it is a factor that increases contamination by microplastics. Size matters. Once these particles are ingested, Its effect will depend on the size it has.. In general, the smaller it is, the more worrying it is for our body, since the more easily it will be able to cross biological barriers. If we talk about particles larger than 150 micrometers, the truth is that we can rest assured because they will directly pass through the digestive tract to the feces. But if they are smaller than 150 micrometers, they will be able to cross the intestinal cavity and enter the lymphatic and circulatory system, being able to reach the organs with particles smaller than 20 micrometers. But the real danger is in particles smaller than 100 nanometers that are considered nanoplastics. In this case, the particles are small enough to reach all organs, including the ability to cross such critical barriers as the blood-brain barrier and the placenta. The dangers. Continued exposure to nano- and microplastics is linked to a number of chronic health problems. This is not acute toxicity, but long-term cumulative damage. Among the main risks that have been identified are respiratory diseases, reproductive products, disruption of the immune system or increased oxidative stress. The challenge. One of the great challenges for researchers is the lack of standardized methods to analyze these plastics. Right now different tests can be found, but they vary in sensitivity and precision, which makes it difficult to reach a common criterion between the different studies in order to have a general image of the big problem before us. Right now, some techniques can detect very small particles, but not their composition, while others do the opposite, which is a very important limitation. But despite these, some studies already point to significant differences between the water brands we find on the market. For example, research cited in the report found that Nestle Pure Life and Bisleri had some of the highest average concentrations of microplastic particles. Regulation. This lack of standardization in studies has contributed to a large “legislative vacuum” in our society. And while there has been legislation on plastic bags, straws or single-use cutlery, water bottles have largely been left out of the regulatory focus. In this way, the author of the study points out that the consumption of water in plastic bottles should be done in emergency situations, but not as a daily practice due to the high consumption of microplastics that we are going to end up ingesting and that would generate a long-term problem. And we have already witnessed precisely how they have appeared microplastics in human testiclesthe breast milkthe blood, archaeological remains or also in the foods we eatlike the vegetables we consume. That is why in the long run we will have to specifically see the impact that prolonged consumption will have through different means, and not just bottled water. Images | Jonathan Cooper In Xataka | From causing diarrhea to making biodegradable plastics: the E. coli bacteria has a new job in Japan

The question is not when it will stop raining, the question is how much water this fall will fall

by

The Mediterranean slope has once again been in the center of an important rainfall episode. From Zaragoza to Murcia, rainfall has flooded streets and squares. Fortunately, the situation has not achieved the magnitude of what we saw last fall, but the situation led yesterday to the State Meteorology Agency (Aemet) to issue several notices, including red notices due to extreme risk. Final in sight. The situation has not yet been reversed, although the focus of the rains has been moving. If yesterday the most affected areas were in the center and north of the Levantine coast, today the risks are concentrated in the provinces of Valencia, Alicante, as well as in Murcia and in the Balearic Islands: in the early hours of today, Eivissa has seen fall More than 115 mm of water. Yesterday the accumulated rainfall They touch the 240 mm in barxValencia, and exceeded 100 mm at the province airport. In some areas of Castellón and Tarragona, rainfall also exceeded 57 mm. Experts expect the transition to October to bring a radical change in the atmospheric. Aemet does not include in its forecast the arrival of significant phenomena and indicates that it is expected “it provides stable time in much of the country”, except in the eastern zone that will still see rethinking instability due to the influence of the cold trough. Radical change. The Aemet monthly forecasts They seem to secondary this idea: the agency provides that a driest month of October than usual in almost the entire peninsula and, especially, in the northwestern zone. It is also expected that the temperatures of the next few days will be higher than what would correspond to these autumn dates. The thing could change during the second half of the month. Although temperatures could continue to be high, the agency begins to glimpse anomalously high rainfall on the Levantine coast during the week that begins on the 13th. Some somewhat more abundant rainfall is also expected than usual in the southwest quadrant during the final stretch of the month. Two slopes, two stories. But if we want to know (or at least intuit) what we have autumn, we have to go to the longer term forecasts. What do these forecasts suggest? Well, the tonic will last, with two different trends in peninsular Spain. Regarding rainfall, Aemet foresees a dry autumn in much of the territory. Probabilistically, the agency talks about 45% probabilities of a dry autumn compared to 20% probabilities of a humid fall. However, the thing changes in the east zone, where uncertainty prevails with respect to whether autumn will be wetter, drier or if on the contrary it will remain within the parameters of normality. Echoes of a different autumn. The forecasts give rise to a complicated scenario: the lack of rainfall in much of the country implies the return of the ghost of the drought. As if this were not enough, the predictions on the Mediterranean coast are compatible with the arrival of intense rainfall episodes. These do not have to reach the magnitude of those that occurred last year, but the rains of these days show us that they do not have to reach such dimension to cause important problems. In Xataka | After months of indecision, meteorologists already see the girl in Pacific waters Image | ECMWF

It works in a mine and cools with water from a fjord

by

In western Norway, an old mine has become the home of the most powerful machine in the country. Between galleries excavated in the rock and with the ice water of the fjord as ally, Olivia is already underway. This national superordinate, managed by Sigma2, It is presented as A key tool for the country’s researchers. Its design seeks to reduce energy consumption compared to previous generations and make the most of the security offered by an underground installation. Norway wanted to strengthen its computation capacity without depending on other countries. Although it does not belong to the European Union, is part of the European economic space. According to Sigma2Olivia is designed to open up to all academic and scientific institutions in the country, regardless of its local infrastructure, and become a shared platform for data science, simulations and development of language models in Norwegian. Underground Technology, Fjord and Technological Sovereignty Water The machine is a Hpe Cray Supercomputing Ex system with 252 nodes equipped with processors AMD Epyc Turin and a total of 64,512 CPU nuclei. Incorporates 304 last generation GPU and 5.3 Storage Petabytes In a HPE Cray ClustersTor E1000 system. With this configuration, the capacity for available in national systems is multiplied by 17. All this, as the images that accompany this article suggest, occupy just 14 square meters and weigh about 15 tons, which shows a remarkable power density in a small space. Efficiency has been an objective from the beginning. Olivia uses direct liquid cooling and benefits from the infrastructure of Lefdal Mine Data Centerswhich, according to Sigma2, works 100% with renewable energy and Use fjord water to cool the systems. According to the same source, energy consumption has been reduced by more than 30% compared to Betzy Supercomputerwhile the calculation power is more than three times higher. As of June 2025, these characteristics have earned him the 22nd position in the Green500 list, which measures energy efficiency, and 117 on the top500 of faster supercomdators. In the number one position is The Captain of the National Lowrence Livermore laboratory, in the United States. The data center where Olivia is installed is unique. Located inside an abandoned olivine mine, eitherFrece Physical security and natural thermal stability. The name of the Superormer is a tribute to that mineral that was extracted in the area for years. The project has been an investment of 225 million Norwegian crowns, around 20 million euros, and has been designed for future extensions without replacing its main structure. The project has followed a precise calendar: the room transfer was completed in December 2024 and acceptance tests began in February this year. The official inauguration was held on June 17, 2025 And this summer has served as a pilot period to validate the system before its general opening, scheduled for autumn. Sigma2 points out that the equipment is working to adjust the last configuration details and guarantee stability before opening full access to the research community. Olivia is emerging as a central resource for health, marine and climatic research projects. According to the operator, it will allow progress in the development of language models in Norwegian. Open availability for all universities and research centers seeks to democratize access to high performance computing, key in fields where data grows at an exponential pace. Norway, as we point out, It is not part of the European Union. In this context, the Nordic country invests in its own technological capacity: reinforcing its autonomy and reducing the dependence of external infrastructure. As you pass from the test period to be fully operational, it will be a reference point to measure how a small population can have one of the advanced computer infrastructure on the planet. Images: Sigma2 In Xataka | The undisputed winner of the aggressive competition of TSMC, Intel and Samsung is a European company: ASML

The jokes of ordering 18,000 glasses of water have made it rethink

by

The fast food chain has installed voice assistants with artificial intelligence In more than 500 restaurantsbut the technical problems and jokes of the users are forcing the company to rethink its strategy. Two million orders later, Taco Bell Recognize that humans remain necessary. The problem in figures. Since last year, Taco Bell has deployed AI technology with a voice wizard in more than 500 locations in the United States. However, system failures have generated a wave of complaints on social networks and viral videos that show customers mocking the system. One of the cases that has circulated most in networks and demonstrates the clumsiness of the system, someone looks Ask 18,000 glasses of water. AI accepted it without problems. The challenge behind. “We are learning a lot, I will be honest with you,” admitted Dane Mathews, director of Digital Technology of Taco Bell, to Wall Street Journal. The executive himself recognizes that his experience with the system is irregular: “Like everyone, sometimes it disappoints me, but other times it really surprises me.” Employees have also begun to publish content reminding customers who can listen to when they shout at the system. The most viral failures. Tiktok is full of all the ravages that the AI ​​has caused: from staying in loop asking what the client wants to drink to Accept McDonald’s food orders and suggest competition sauces. How could it be otherwise in some cases, human workers have had to intervene to correctly complete orders, which has made doubts about the effectiveness of the system on a day to day. Change of Strategy Mounted. Mathews He has revealed that the company is reconsidering where to implement this technology. Especially in very busy restaurants with long lines, where a human employee could better manage the situation. “It is a very active conversation within Taco Bell in collaboration with our franchisees,” he explains. The company plans to help each restaurant determine when using AI and when employees are better intervened. The sector looks for its path. Taco Bell is not alone in this fight. McDonald’s canceled last year A similar experiment with IBM, although now works with Google Cloud in a new version. Another fast food chain in the United States, Wendy’s, is expanding your assistant Freshai (also based on Google technology) with the aim of reaching 500 facilities before the end of the year. It is another field in which AI begins to highlight, although these first experiences have taken us some laughs. Cover image | Taco Bell In Xataka | Tiktok, Instagram and X dominated our lives, but now their users are escaping to chat with machines

A United Kingdom restaurant makes history with its first water letter. Free tap water also serves

by

If we look for the definition of a sommelier, the RAE It presents us with the following: “Wine expert and liquors who, in large hotels, restaurants, etc., suggests customers the appropriate drink for the occasion.” Do not go to the SAR: Wikipedia It says the same. We understand by sommelier, or Sommelier, an expert in pairing who knows which wine fits better with different dishes. Amazon even has a ‘telesumillers’ servicebut there may soon be a new meaning for Sommelier: Water expert. In 2011 the Water sommelier uniona professional and international association that was born in Germany and that appeared with a single purpose: to promote the professional, training and economic interests of water sommeliers to defend the culture of mineral water. It is not the only one that exists, since there is also the Doemens Academy In Germany or the Fine Water Academy In the United States, as well as some associations in countries such as Italy or China. And, in the same way that there is a wine letter in some restaurants, the objective of these water experts is that there are unique premises for a very specific reason. A select water letter. Wine letter … and waters Doemens is very clear that “Not all waters are the same”And, apart from giving training in German, English and Mandarin, in 2024 they began to form Sumillers in Spanish. Describe The task of the sommelier of water such as “disseminating and providing knowledge about the quality, characteristics, variety of brands and the value of excellent mineral waters.” Although it is a minority, in the international panorama, profiles such as Martin Riese, the first ‘Sommelier’ Certificate of the United States, but also the British Doran Binder begin to flour. Binder, with a very active profile in Instagramwhere he has more than 55,000 followers, he is a sommelier who supplied the water of his brand -crag spring water- to the British restaurant The Popote. It is a French -style restaurant that is in the Micheli GuideNY in which they have a letter with about 140 varieties of wine. At some point a few years ago, and as they expose in CNNBinder approached the owners of the Popote to propose something: a menu of water. At first, they thought “It was a ridiculous idea”but they changed their minds when they attended a water tasting. Of that “ridiculous idea”, the owners went to “the water is not just water.” The tasting was similar to what is done with beer or wine. First, they tested about six varieties, but then made a second tasting with the same waters, but accompanied by food such as Manchego cheese, comte, chocolate, olives or parma ham. That’s when they realized that the taste “changed” and that they appreciated that certain waters married better with certain foods. Convinced, they let Binder devise the menu, becoming the first in the United Kingdom to have a Water letter which offers its product (five pounds per bottle) up to 19 pounds, about 25 euros, for The Palace of Lifego, a gas with gas from Portugal. There are also Spanish, Italian and French waters. Binder with your water letter Ok, very good, but … what are you selling me? According to Binder, the water key is TDS, or dissolved total solitos. In the statements to CNN, “the measure of minerals is what determines the flavor and taste. The destined water has a zero TDS.”It is fantastic for cleaning windows and for the carbut lousy for humans, ”he said. The range it offers in the restaurant goes from the 14 TDS of the mineral water with Lauretana gas to the 3,300 of Vichy Celastins. The Vichy Catalan, which is another product that is usually seen in waters, It has about 2,900 TDS. At the opposite, sea would be between 30,000 and 40,000 TDS. From Spain we have ’22’ that is soft in the mouth, with a delicate profile And it is, as with wine, to extol the taste of everything. If the French water they serve is “quite salty, you have to combine it with something that is saved, like a parma ham, and both are balanced. So, the water no longer knows salty and what remains is a more durable flavor of the ham in the mouth,” says Joseph Rawlins, owner of the Popote. Eye, they also have tap water as courtesy. I imagine that it will be equivalent to Ask for a torrefact in a specialty cafeteria. Apart from this, in a context in which Alcohol consumption is decreasinghaving “gurmet” options of without alcohol is something that makes all the meaning. How to serve the water In the end, it is what is sought when you seek to exalize flavors mixing elements that seem not to stick, such as salt chocolate, for example. If we want to do this at home, there are tricks. Joanna Vallejo It is a wine sommelier that has also specialized in the water and has offered some tips To enjoy at home a better experience when enjoying water and rest of food: Read the label to find the origin. If you drink wine, accompany the glass of a glass of quality with gas, since that acidity point will make the flavors of the wine are enhanced. Use correct water. For example, for spicy or acids, use gas with gas. For softer foods such as salads or fish, waters with less minerals. And for more forceful meat or food, water with a higher mineral profile. Do not put ice in the glass because what you will do will be the same thing that happens with coffee: to await and mix a high profile water with another that is from the tap (no matter how good some are). And the most important thing about this (because, like me, you have raised an eyebrow thinking that now you will have to wear a monocle every time you are hot and drink a glass of water): Joanna herself comments that It … Read more

He vibrated so much that “the Water of the Váter came out.” Renfe has a problem in Catalonia and the AVE of Lleida is only the last example

by

A train in which it was impossible to travel with relative comfort. Let’s not say sleep or work. The videos in which an Avant is shown that vibrates extremely in the Lleida-Barcelona line are only the last example of a high speed that does not stop accumulating problems for Renfe. “The Water of the Váter came out”. This is what A user assured of the Avant Lleida-Barcelona train that circulated with extreme vibrations on August 19. Views the images that can be found on social networks, what Kevin Bruque, spokesman for users Avant Catalunya, is not very far -fetched RAC1. The violence with which the train moved while in motion has left us publications in which it is observed to backpacks moving violently and Water bottles that remain standing miracle. Many complaints. It is not the first time that Avant users between Lleida and Barcelona complain bitterly about the conditions of the journey. “People get dizzy” in an hour “that they could take advantage of to rest or work,” Bruque emphasizes. Extreme vibrations are only the last case of a line that accumulates complaints and demands of users. Already in March, Segre He collected the demands of the passengers who claim a greater number of frequencies and an early early option since the first train leaves at 7:05. They also emphasized the constant delays and breakdowns suffered by the line. Renfe’s response. Those days, Segre He collected that Renfe’s response to this request for an Avant that leaves before 7:05 points to Rodalies. The company defends that service is also provided with a regional train and that, therefore, the line is already covered. However, the platform ensures that the service is not comparable since with Rodalies it takes more than three hours to arrive in Barcelona from Lleida while in Avant and Ave they move on the border of the hour. This causes taking the first Rodalies train to arrive even later in Barcelona that with the first fast train of the day. Rodalies in the spotlight. Renfe’s performance in Catalonia is under the spotlight. In what we have been, Rodalies has not stopped adding breakdowns, suspensions and delays. To the point that the circulation has been suspended up to three times. In railroads.org They collect the incidents that are added daily in Rodalies. On August 18, six incidents were counted in the network. On August 19 another four and August 20 increased to 17 incidents of all kinds. When we write these lines on August 21, 33 incidents have been counted so far. But also high speed. In the first week of this August we met the end of a soap opera that had begun in July, that of the Avril trains. Renfe decided to withdraw these trains of its Madrid-Barcelona line when cracks are detected in them. A few days before, the information had jumped that some of these trains were literally breaking. Renfe threw balls out And he just said that had reorganized the line. Subsequently, Pópuli voice He showed the images where a crack was clearly seen on the train. Renfe had already decided to get these trains out of circulation although at first he opted for circular at a lower speed. An unforgettable summer for the user. And to forget by Renfe. The company has been in which it has faced a breakdown in the line to Andalusia that left users without air conditioning and in the middle of anywhere For 13 hours. Those same problems, with less serious consequences, They were subsequently repeated. Also in Andalusia the circulation had to be suspended momentarily by Goteras in a Malaga tunnel. Then came the aforementioned case of cracks in the Avril trains. And finally, fires have stopped circulation between Madrid and Galicia during a week in which Renfe has offered solutions With lights and shadows. Photo | Kabelleger / David Gubler In Xataka | “In 1961 it took Bilbao for three hours and five minutes. Now it takes three and ten”: Cantabria and the drama of Spain with the train

Google has finally revealed how much electricity and water consumes its AI. Estimates could not be more wrong

by

We knew that generative artificial intelligence was a monster that was forcing companies to make large investments in energybut Google’s first detailed analysis has put the figures for the first time on the table. We go to the point. According to him Google Technical Reportbased on data from May 2025, an average text consultation to Gemini consumes 0.24 Electricity watts. To put it in context, it is something like watching nine seconds of television with a conventional TV of 100 W. Water consumption, which is still necessary to refrigerate serversis 0.26 milliliters per consultation; The equivalent of five drops of water. The carbon footprint of the entire inference process, according to the report, is 0.03 grams of equivalent. Wrong estimates. Just a year ago, third party analysis They estimated that a single consultation of AI in the Google search engine, such as those of AI overViews, could consume about 3 Wh, ten times more than a traditional search. This led to calculations as striking as the deployment of AI in the search engine would consume enough energy to load seven electric cars per second. With Google’s official data in hand, we see that this estimate was wrong by a 12.5 factor. The new software techniques (such as speculative decoding) and the most efficient models architectures (such as the Mixture-OF-Experts paradigm) have completely changed the panorama. Inference, no training. These figures, the most concrete published to date by the company, only take into account Gemini’s consumption by inferring user response. The expensive process of training the great language models that feed these tools remains a mystery, but Google is justified by saying that the massive adoption of generative AI, integrated even in its search engine, has put the focus on inference. In this direct relationship with the user it is also where greater efficiency jumps are getting large technological companies. Google says that, in the last 12 months, energy consumption has divided by 33 and by 44 the carbon footprint of each consultation to Gemini. Much of this jump has to do, not only with more efficient models, but with the improvement of AI accelerators (Tpus and Gpus), a hardware that Google develops internally. The amount of “prompts” per kWh that process the different models of AI Less than Netflix. Google is not alone in this new era of transparency. Sam Altman, CEO of Openai, also shed some light on the consumption of chatgpt. In one June 2025 publicationAltman said that an average consultation to ChatgPT consumes approximately 0.34 or energy Wh and about 0.3 ml of water. The energy figure is slightly higher than Gemini’s, although it is a difficult comparison. Altman did not give details of his methodology, so we do not know if his calculation includes all the factors that Google has considered (such as electrical consumption in refrigeration and in “idle” machines; that is, inactive, but ready for rapid consumption peaks). Both companies have been compared to television: “An hour of Netflix consumes 100 times more electricity than Chatgpt,” says an official OpenAI slide. The same that says that the total impact of AI on US carbon emissions would be around 0.5%. Images | Google In Xataka | The consumption of AI is overestimated and we must worry more about the air conditioning, according to the IAE

25 million for a reddish rock without electricity or water

by

It is not the most expensive or the most remote, nor does it stand out for its size, but Red Rock Isand It has been a time of the most peculiar “candy” in the American luxury market for some time. The reason: a sum of factors among which are their price, their characteristics and especially its location, in the middle of San Francisco, where it stands out as The only one Private Island His is a privileged location, but who is willing to spend the 25 million dollars that it costs will find a reddish rock (hence its name) without water or light, populated by birds and in an convoluted administrative situation. Things of the most select luxury market. In a place on the west coast … More specifically in the Bay of San Francisco, very close to the busy Richmond-San Rafael Bridgethrough which almost almost 13 million vehiclesis a small island baptized as Red Rock Island. The name is no coincidence, it takes it from the manganese concentration, mineral that for a while attracted the interest of the miners. If Red Rock Island stands out for something, it is nevertheless for its tone, or location, but for its administrative condition: it is The only one Island of private property of San Francisco’s bay and stands between three counties different (San Francisco, Marin and against Costa), with which any procedure related to its lands must take into account the regulations of those three administrations. A reddish rock in the Pacific. Red Rock awakens the curiosity of the drivers who circulate on the Richmond-San Rafael bridge because it rises as a reddish, steep and soulless promontory in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. After all, the islet It is uninhabited. His only tenants They are the seagulls, the Canadian geese, bats and the occasional rabbit that raises among their reddish rocks, bushes and excavated tunnels decades ago by the miners. Red Rock Isand measures approximately 5.8 acres, about 2.3 hectares. Its dimensions are discreet for an island, although not far from there are islets like The Brothers and The Sisters Even smaller. It is estimated that Red Rock measures 150 meters wide, 230 long and 54 high. Chris Lim, Christie’s International Real Estate, in charge of The management of your sale, stands out However, the insula is located in the deepest part of the bay and its coast is “perfect” to arrive aboard a yacht or with a helicopter. Perhaps they are not the most economical means of transport or the most accessible; But it is that Red Rock Island has not been put up for sale in a suitable market for any pocket. Are you left over 25 million? If so, congratulations, you can have your own private island in a privileged place on the west coast of the US. That is the price for which went on sale Red Rock Island last year, a sum that, as remember The Guardianplaces it in the “mid -range” of the private island market, well above the between 600,000 and several million dollars that can cost a small island in the Bahamas, but below the more than 100 million that are paid for some specially coveted insulants of the Caribbean. Click on the image to go to Tweet. 25 million .. and something else. Of course, if the Red Rock buyer has in mind to build in the islet must have that those initial 25 million will be added another amount, equal or even more generous, to move materials, personnel and supplies. Red Rock lacks electricity and running water. And any future plan must take into account that it is between three counties. For lim The island is nevertheless more than a simple islet with potential. In his opinion it is a kind of “collectible” luxury, just like there are those who choose to hang a Mark Rothko of your living room or bid for one of the very expensive pieces of da Vinci that come to auction. “Unique and prestigious investment”. Thus the island is announced in The portal of Crhistie´s International Real Estate, where the offer is still active 213 days after its publication. “This extraordinary island offers unparalleled natural beauty, historical importance and an infinite potential for the demanding buyer who seeks a unique and prestigious investment,” The agency emphasizes. Whether or not a “cholo”, the truth is that Red Rock Island seems to have attracted market interest. In Julio Lim assured to the CBS News chain that the seller had already received two offers and there was at least one “active”, on the table, in which they were working. What is your current state? This same The Guardian He informed That at the end of July a contract was signed with a buyer who, at least for the moment, has asked for anonymity. The operation would not have yet been completed. “It will be a long process and the closing of the deposit will not be carried out until next year”, explained Recently the agency spokesman The Real Deal. In any case, the announcement is still active in the catalog From Christie´s International Real Estate, where it is also allowed to request information from adults or schedule a visit to the island. Something more than luxury and nature. Red Rock Island is not just a reddish islet in the middle of Francisco’s bay populated with shrubs, seagulls, bats, geese and the occasional rabbit that hides between its pines. The island has an interesting story behind. It is said that he served as a home to merchants of Russian skins, who around 1850 lived in it the commander and businessman Selim E. Woodworththat in the nineteenth century worked in it miners interested in manganese oxide and in 1964 it was acquired by David Clickman for a sum today: $ 49,500. In The 80s He was about to go to the controversial guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh And there are those who saw in its size and location a reef … Read more

The big problem of green hydrogen is the dependence of fresh water. We have found the solution in the sewers

by

In the great darking puzzle, Green hydrogen points ways to become one of the most important pieces. Has become one of the Great bets of the European Union For the Energy transitionbut although renewable energies such as solar or wind are used to produce it, it has a big problem: Consume a huge amount of fresh water. Some researchers want to stop this problem using something we produce in industrial quantities. Sewage. The water problem. Talking about clean energy implies looking at some initial point of the process to realize that there is still an ecological footprint. Electric cars do not emit, but make their batteries yesFor example. Something similar happens with green hydrogen. Solar or wind energy is which is used to perform the electrolysis process With which hydrogen is generated to use as a source of energy, but as we said, a lot of water is consumed, a resource that is increasingly scarce For millions of people. That is why we are investigating alternative ways to generate green hydrogen without those huge amounts of fresh water. For example, using seawaterbut there is a type of fresh water that had not been considered for the process and that has now entered the equation. Trash Treasury in wastewater. These waters contain a series of pollutants that, according to logic, would make it difficult to Electrolysis process. They have nickel, platinum, chromium and other metals that, until now, had to be extracted from water in an expensive purification process before using that water in electrolysis. However, a team from the School of Sciences of the Australian Rmit has found a way to take advantage of these metals to accelerate the production of green hydrogen. In electrolysis, electrodes are a key component because it is the one that facilitates the reaction that separates water in its base components: hydrogen and oxygen. To do this, an anode is used (where water breaks down releasing oxygen and electrons) and a cathode (protons earn electrons and form hydrogen molecules). In the anode and cathode metals such as nickel, platinum or iride are used as those found in wastewater, and what they have done from the RMIT is … take advantage of them. The invention. To do this, the electrode is manufactured with an absorbent carbon surface that attracts those metals present in wastewater, as if it were a magnet. When they “catch them”, form catalysts that conduct electricity and start that task of dividing water into its components. Nasir Mahmood is one of the researchers and, as we read in Miragenewsexplains the reaction as follows: “The catalyst accelerates a chemical reaction without consumed in the process, allowing metals to interact with other elements present in wastewater and enhancing the necessary electrochemical reactions to divide water into oxygen and hydrogen. And, beyond the theory, the team devised a device that managed They expose in ACSa stability of 95%. This pilot device, connected to a small solar plate, is the one you can see in the image that opens this article. And the waters look at everything … except purified water. Potential. Now, it is not as easy as taking the wastewater and using it directly. The team Confirm which used wastewater that had been subjected to some treatment to eliminate solid waste, organic matter and other nutrients. Not metals, yes. The water used for the experiment comes from agricultural waste, which opens another door to the circular economy of the materials. HE esteem that more than 80% of wastewater return to the planet without any treatment (although other sources They point at 50%), but if we started using a part to produce green hydrogen, we would be reducing that percentage, giving a breath to areas with drought problems and allowing to inject energy into those areas without affecting their Drinking water deposits. In developing countries it would have great potential. An upcoming step is to try more types of wastewater, since not all have the same amount of metals in their composition, and as professor Nicky Eshtiaghi, another of the authors of the study, comments, the plan now is to look for partners to climb technology and find commercial applications. Images | Rmit, Hightail Xataka | In Peru, a company has had an idea to take wind energy directly to your home: turbines as a lay way

people shitting in the water

by

The alert of each year returns to the Spanish pools: a viral challenge that simply consists of defecating in the water, a heavy joke for the bathers who, however, has consequences that go beyond the eviction of the area. Since news is detected on the subject In the late last decadehundreds of pools are affected every year. National plague. This year, the challenge has affected more than 300 swimming pools throughout Spain. According to Eltiempo.esmunicipalities such as Sant Joan de Vilatorrada, Bellver de Cerdanya and Berga, have been affected in Catalonia; Orduña and Sopela, in Euskadi; Canals and Carcaixent, in the Valencian Community; and Torrelavega, Los Corrales de Buelna or Reocín, in Cantabria. They are also events that are repeated several times in the same pools, becoming more than half a dozen times in some of these facilities. No trace of the challenge. Although the phenomenon is being described in the media as a “viral challenge”, this is not exactly. Viral challenges are often born With promotional intentions either designed by a influencer. However, here it is difficult to find network users following the challenge (that is, defining in the swimming pools): there are only reactions infinite to the discovery of hece. It is rather a phenomenon of infection that is born with A concrete video of 2023 widespread Del Tiktoker @iigormoral and, which was used to illustrate summer news On television and In press About the appearance of feces in swimming pools (a vandalism phenomenon that happens, to a lesser extent, all summers). Because of its appearance in the highest reach, the @iigormoral video (and not a “challenge” as such) generated a “effect called” that is being confused with a challenge as such, and that many are using as a justification to vandalize the facilities. There is punishment. There is no legislation that specifically defecates in the pools, but administrative sanctions can be applied or taking deterrent measures, based on the Crimes typified against public health. There may be fines (up to 600,000 euros in serious cases of recidivism) and, of course, expulsion of the facilities, a measure that can be extended several years. In some of the mentioned municipalities, recordings made with sigurity cameras are being reviewed to determine the authorship of the fault. Health risks. Although the excrement in the pools may seem an anecdotal issue, its presence involves health risks. The association of Disease control centers of the United States warn that some of the pathogenic bacteria present in the feces (those of the genus Cryptosporidium, for example, but also the Escherichia coli, the hepatitis A virus or the giardia parasite) survive in pool water for days. Even if the excrement are extracted and chlorin and try again, the slightest dissolution in water (as it happens if the person has a slight diarrhea) is dangerous. International scope. Although what affects us are floating droppings in our pools, the viral challenge seems to have international scope, and there are already social network users warning of sightings In the Park Pool Park in New Yorkin Mother jungle (Bolivia) or Türkiye. International deposits also seems trend, to the point that last year, with intentions very different from those of a viral joke, it was proposed “shit“As a way of protesting the Paris Olympic Games. Header | Photo of Andrii Leonov in Unspash In Xataka | Neither air conditioning nor fan: the best thing to cool in summer is a pool. In these platforms they are rented for hours

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.